


Just like how it used to be

by Anonymous



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: AIMH, Angst with a Happy Ending, Break Up, Happy Ending, Harry is a big dork, Healing, I made it up, M/M, On the Road Again, Oslo (City), Sorry Not Sorry, Work In Progress, always in my heart, babygate, it's all very cheesy, kiss you, larry is real, non-au, they play a game
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-10
Updated: 2015-08-10
Packaged: 2018-04-13 22:35:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4540032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I just love you, is all.” Louis pulled him in for one more kiss before opening the door for Harry and sending him on his way.</p><p>It was Harry's favorite Louis moment and he kept it in the back of his pocket for all times. Even though it hurt to think of Louis and him now, he revisited that memory relentlessly.</p><p>***</p><p>Louis breaks up with Harry right before they're supposed to come out to the world - but now, he wants to make it better. Harry is heartbroken but knows in his heart they can fix it - but management's convoluted, complicated plan sometimes seems like too much and neither Harry nor Louis is sure how much more they can take.</p><p>A babygate fic featuring a potentially on-the-mend Larry, and Liam and Niall who are just trying to ease them back together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Nobody said it would be this hard

**Author's Note:**

> so this is a fic in progress and I guess that's also because part of the "progress" is that this is all crap that is happening right now, which sucks for us all clearly. I'm going to try to update at least once a week if not more - if I don't just comment and I'll kick my butt into gear.
> 
> But this is kind of just my...hope??...I don't know....idea, I guess, of what's happening right now behind closed doors. This is just the beginning so please stick with me! And also, let me know what you think and leave comments (even if they're not the nicest :/) so I can improve!
> 
> I know this first chapter is kinda short...shorter than I anticipated, but there is so much more coming I promise :)
> 
> Title is from "Right Now" and the chapter title for this one is from "The Scientist" by Coldplay

Harry can remember it like it was yesterday. They had moments upon moments of memories - but this one…this was his favorite.

From the moment him and Louis fell in love, they lived it through stolen kisses and grabs at each other under interview tables when they thought nobody was looking. They were biding their time, hiding out even though they were seen. The first love for both of them and it was a dance of pause and play constantly. Everything about their relationship was experienced through variables and the only constant was each other.

But that night, Harry and Louis had gotten the best news they had received in a while: Finally, Louis was going to be able to end his fake, postured relationship with Eleanor. Finally, they were going to start working up to Louis and Harry coming out. In little ways, they already had. Unfollowing fans who blasphemed their relationship, tweeting ominous signs of life for the fans who had been loyally waiting. But it was all unofficial and never was certain. And it always came with punishments.

Finally, all their hard work had paid off and as Louis and Harry spent a few precious hours with each other, they sat in wonder at the thought that one day, they could be sitting just like this (Louis arms wrapped around Harry as their fingers played an all too gentle, unofficial game of thumb war that neither of them were trying to win) outside where anybody could see them.

That was what it was about. That night that they found out they were nearing the end of their guise wasn’t about passion, but it was about love and the fact that soon, they would get to display theirs and show the world that they had made it.

And so when Harry had to leave that night, even though they were sad to part, they kissed in the doorway in the middle of smiles. Harry finally turned away to leave and he couldn’t wipe the silly grin off his face that his boy had put there. He got to the car waiting for him, but before he could step inside, he heard pounding footsteps behind him.

“Harry,” Louis said, grabbing onto his wrist to pull him back.

Harry turned around with alarm, thinking he had forgotten something, but Louis was just smiling in the middle of the driveway as his hand slipped from his wrist to entwine their fingers together. Louis’ other hand reached up to Harry’s neck and pulled him down to meet his lips.

They kissed once. Chastely. And then once more, holding on for a few seconds longer - both knowing that even though the risk was seemingly small, somebody could see them here.

And when Louis pulled away, Harry just looked at him, puzzled but smiling.

“I just love you, is all.” Louis pulled him in for one more kiss before opening the door for Harry and sending him on his way.

It was his favorite Louis moment and he kept it in the back of his pocket for all times. Even though it hurt to think of Louis and him now, he revisited that memory relentlessly.

Louis always had stricter reins than Harry. And Harry knew that it was unfair to expect Louis to be constantly, positively reaffirming their relationship. Harry could change song lyrics and refer to “someones” with little repercussions, but the second Louis bordered on flamboyant it was like they were back to square one.

But here, after everything, in this memory Harry had stored, Louis freely offered the encouragement Harry needed but could never ask for. Louis was always doing things and loving Harry. But that night, he did more. Risked more. Showed more. And it seemed simple, but Harry knew it wasn’t.

But, as Harry now knew, that night was something else, too. That night was the beginning of when everything started to fall apart.

X

“It has to get worse before it gets better, boys. If this is something you really want to be doing now, you’re going to have to give us time to work it out. You both know, the band is in a much, much different place than it was a few months ago.”

Louis nodded. “We want to do this.”

“What do you mean it has to get worse?” Harry asked, looking down at his hands. They were in a meeting with management finally talking about the terms of them coming out once and for all. After three months of wasted time and opportunities, Louis had picked now to decide to be proud of him and Harry.

“Well Harry, you’re the ring leader. You’re the one that fans buy cut out figures of off Ebay claiming they’re collectables. I mean, every boy has a fan base…so does the band, but yours is the biggest by far. And if you just come out now with no explanation and no jumping off point, we’re going to lose a lot of fans. We need to shift their attention and focus so it’s more evenly spread. That’s what we were trying to do…before…but Louis, you’re long out of the headlines. Liam and Niall, too, really." 

Harry just nodded. Harry didn’t care who was talking anymore he just needed to know what was going to happen.

“So what’s the plan?” Louis was a little too cheery for Harry to handle.

“We’ve actually had this planned for a while, as a means of a back-up in case you lads changed your minds.”

Harry huffed and looked up, “A bit conniving, don’t you think?”

Louis reached across to grab his wrist. “Haz…”

It was amazing how, in just a few months, things had changed so much. After a second, Harry recoiled, skittish when it came to Louis’ touch. He was trying to be clever by running his hand through his hair, but he was failing and Harry could see the disappointment and guilt in Louis’ face from the corner of his eye.

“So what is it then?” Harry grumbled.

The door opened and in walked a familiar face. “Briana?” Louis questioned. “What are you doing here?”

“It’s all part of the plan boys,” someone from the team said. Briana just waved at Louis.

“Uh, Harry, this is Briana. Her and I, uh…we go clubbing sometimes in LA with some other pals of mine.”

“Hi Harry,” she said, reaching her hand across the table. “I’ve heard so much about you.”

Harry shook her hand - she had a terrible handshake - she sat down, and management told them their plan.

X

Walking out of the meeting, Harry broke away from the rest of the group of suits, Louis, and Briana and walked as fast as he could out of the building. He knew he should wait for Louis and shouldn’t worry him, but he just needed to get out. He took the stairs, saving the elevator for Louis, and ran down to find an exit. He pushed through a door and found himself in a hallway. He was on the wrong floor but he didn’t care. He saw a door with an exit sign looming above and when he pushed through that door, he was outside. He didn’t know where he was compared to the normal exit - probably around the back of the building, but he didn’t care. He vomited yellow, rotten bile on the asphalt (he hadn’t really been eating) and sat down with his head in between his knees to stop the vertigo.

How had they gotten here?

He remembered that memory, that favorite memory of his, and then he let himself think about what came after.

They had glossed over the next few weeks in a bliss. They finally had a date where the separation would be announced. 

And they were about a month away from the day that story would make headlines when it started. Harry would reach out to grab for Louis’ hands and instead Louis would stick his hands in his back pockets.

Harry texted Louis one night "made dinner for you! it’s your favorite and when we’re finished we can have dessert ;) xxx” and when Louis came home, he had a carton of Chinese food in his hand that he was already stuffing in his face. He didn’t even apologi—"No." 

Harry stopped himself. “Too specific,” he told himself. “Just think of the basics. What happened?”

They had the date to end the relationship with Eleanor. They had a plan to come out just in time for the fifth album (neither of them liked that it was being used for sales, but they swallowed their annoyances because it was finally happening). Louis started becoming more distant and wouldn’t talk to Harry. Louis told Harry he couldn’t do it - but carried on ending the relationship with Eleanor regardless. Louis left. Louis drank away the hurt he felt and drank away the ability to remember that he’d hurt Harry as well. Louis was papped having fun in LA with people Harry didn’t know. Louis came back.

One night, there was a knock at Harry’s door. It was Louis and he looked just ruined. the bags under his eyes looked more like bruises. He had gotten skinnier in such a short amount of time - lost enough weight that Harry was worried.

Harry just opened his door. Dropped his mouth and took in Louis’ appearance before his face fell in pity and longing.

Louis didn’t dare move a muscle for what felt like days before finally he just held up his hands, exasperated with himself. He shrugged, dropped his head, and finally looked back up at Harry.

“I just -“ his voice broke, "I just miss you so, so much Harry.” Harry brought his hands up and pinched the bridge of his nose. He had a headache. He started crying while Louis stood there watching him unaware of what he should do. When his body started shaking, Louis rushed forward, pulling Harry into a hug.

Harry nuzzled his head into Louis’ neck getting tears and snot all over Louis’ jumper. His fists gripped the fabric like a harness on a roller coaster. Louis just took both of his hands to hold Harry and smooth his hair down his neck, whispering “Shhh,” and “I’m sorry” and “I love you” and “I’ll never leave”, and more things that Harry might’ve been too quick to believe, in rotation.

They finally parted and Louis reached a hand up to Harry’s face to wipe tears off of his cheeks. Harry grabbed one of Louis’ free hand and held it in place by his side before placing a hand to the palm of Louis’ hand on his cheek. Harry held on and turned around, guiding them back to the bedroom that Louis never should have left in the first place. They had desperate, tender, raw sex as soon as they were through the threshold of the room. Louis kissed tears off of Harrys cheeks as Harry choked out simple words like “Lou,” “stay,” and once, just once, “mine.”

When they were both done, and equally spent, they cuddled into each other, Louis pressing kisses on the back of Harry’s neck believing Harry was drifting off and all was finished and back to normal. It was only a few moments of comfortable bliss until Louis felt Harry shuddering inside of his embrace.

When Harry and Louis parted, Harry buried his face in his hands and Louis’ simple question of “What’s wrong Haz?” ended up erupting into their worst argument to date. And it lasted hours.

Worse than the night Louis left was the night Louis came back.

Words flew everywhere and each sentence was more desperate and petrified than the last.

“Why should I take you back? You’re just going to leave again!”

“You’re not ready, you’re a coward.”

“Maybe you never loved me. Maybe that’s why you left. Maybe you didn’t want to come out to say we were real because maybe to you we never were.”

Harry hurled again onto the pavement. These were all words he said. Each a different dagger to throw at Louis that Harry knew just how to aim. Harry wanted proof that Louis would never be able to give but Louis wanted another chance, and while Louis was trying, trying so hard to keep calm, Harry’s words were as harsh as Harry knew they would be.

Finally, for the millionth time, Harry begged to know “What, what are you going to do now? What’s different? What’s at the end and how do we get there, Louis? How? I can’t do this,” he pointed circles around him, “again. I won’t.”

And instead of answering Harry, Louis just pulled out his phone.

“Great, calling Liam to ask if you can stay at his place? Running away again? Going back to LA to party with people I’ve never met before?”

Louis just held up his hand telling Harry to wait, and Harry stormed at him in anger ready to rip the phone out of his hand when - 

“This is Louis Tomlinson…Hello…Yes, I’m sorry to call so late, but it’s urgent…Yes, well, me and Harry, here, we’ve, uh, gotten back together. We’re ready to come out and we want to do it soon.”

“Louis,” Harry growled, “hang up the phone. Now.” He had a tenacity in his eyes that Louis hadn’t ever seen before. But Louis wasn’t giving up this time.

“Shut the fuck up or go in the kitchen or summat if you need to but I’m doing this now.”

Instead, Harry sat on the chair at the other side of the room - they had ended up in the living room at some point in the night - and Louis took that as a signal to sit on the couch himself.

Louis was on the phone for twenty minutes to set up a meeting with their management team. Despite the fight they were trying to have yet again, Louis was relentless. “We need to do this. We need to do this otherwise we simply can’t continue as a band.”

Harry knew Louis was right. Management knew Louis was right. And they set up a meeting for that following week.

“I can, uh, call Liam. Like you said. If you want,” Louis said minutes after hanging up the phone.

Harry stood up and started walking out of the room. “Just sleep in the guest room,” Harry half-whispered back. Louis could tell Harry was exhausted mentally, physically, and emotionally from his voice and posture. Louis nodded to himself and called back, “Good night Haz.”

Harry sat on the edge of his bed for a few minutes, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to stay in his bed that night. Harry’s side smelled like Louis and Louis' side was still stained with their come from just a while earlier that they had been to tired to clean up at the time. So he just sits and waits for their guest bedroom door to close before Harry pads out into the living room and assumes the couch. If Louis knew Harry’s plan, he would’ve taken the couch in a heartbeat and Harry just wants no fuss in the argument of which of them should suffer in the living room.

He drifts off to sleep and he’s only awoken hours later when Louis is lifting him up like a baby, carrying him to the guest bedroom. Harry feigns sleep and nuzzles his head into Louis’ chest even though he tells himself not to. Louis tucks Harry in and just stands there for a beat.

Harry can feel his movements and can feel his eyes like lasers on his skin. Carefully, Louis sits on the edge of the bed and starts playing with Harry’s long hair, bringing it out of his face and meandering over his scalp. Harry has fallen asleep like this thousands of times before, and he does again here, too. Harry is sound asleep minutes later when Louis finally tells himself to stop touching the man whose heart he shattered. Instead, Louis just plants an innocent kiss to Harry’s forehead and whispers “My boy” before leaving the room to put the kettle on and start making them both a breakfast that will probably go uneaten.

They haven’t kissed since that night and Louis hasn’t tried. Louis has assumed Harry’s old role and is attempting to cast rays of sunshine over Harry’s stormy soul. When Harry woke up the next morning the sheets were washed and Louis just said, please sleep in bed tonight, to which Harry nods sheepishly.

Harry felt used and dirty after that night, which had never happened after sex with Louis. Part of the reason Harry still couldn’t so much as touch Louis was because of that feeling. He never wanted to experience it again. In his heart, he believes that somehow, him and Louis could probably make it work. And if they do, Harry doesn’t want that feeling creeping up in his memory whenever him and Louis so much as touch.

And so here Harry is, in the middle of a fucking alleyway, the smell of fresh vomit climbing into his nose from just a few feet away.

Harry finally stands up and brushes off his shorts. He steps back inside the building, avoiding the vomit, and mazes around for a while before finding the front exit.

“Hey.” Harry turns his head to the side to find Louis sitting on a bench by the doors.

“Oh hey, sorry, I just -“ he was about to come up with a lie but Louis cuts him off.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I know you need privacy and what not.” Harry just nods and Louis gets up and they start to walk out of the building. It’s garaged and closed off so they don’t have to worry about being spotted and they can ride together.

Once they’re in the car, Louis turns to Harry like he’s anxious. “Want to play What Would Larry Do?”

Harry almost smiles and the look on Louis’ face tells Harry it took everything he had to ask that. 

What Would Larry Do? is a game the two of them play when they’re restless, stir crazy, or feeling romantic. They’ve reclaimed the couple name they created back when they were just young lads. Both take turns saying what they wish they were doing right now and when they finally agree on one activity that’s perfect for that moment, they stop one-upping each other and the person who came up with the idea wins. 

The prize is that once they’re free, they’ve promised each other that they’ll do all of the things they’ve come up with.

Instead, Harry shakes his head no and looks out the window. Louis just nods and turns back away.

And Harry feels guilty. What is the point of telling the world they’re in a relationship when they’re not really? And even though he’s hurt, he’s not trying as he could be and he knows it.

“I don’t want to play,” he mumbles, turning to meet Louis’ eyes, "but if you want to shoot some scenarios at me, I’d love to listen to them.” Louis eyes light up and Harry just feels lucky.

“Uh, yeah, okay. Okay. Um. We’re at management and we just finished our meeting. And instead of coming down to the car, I grab your hand and we walk out of the building together. And you do that thing where your thumb brushes the back of my hand,” Harry unbuckles his seatbelt. “And we just walk together with no plans, really.” Harry starts shifting in his seat. “And finally I hear your stomach grumble and you look embarrassed and surprised.” Harry lies down and puts his head in Louis lap, looking up at him and grabbing his right hand. “Uh, and, so, we decide that we should go out to eat so we just decide on a random restaurant and walk in.” Harry places Louis’ right hand on his sternum timidly. Harry reaches back to Louis’ left hand and places it in his hair. Louis doesn’t even have to be told before he’s combing through Harry’s hair gently. “And we both can’t decide what to get so we just each get something and split them both like we always do.” Harry laces his fingers in Louis’ and gently smiles at that truth.

"And then we walk back to the flat, but both of us are tired so instead of walking all the way back we take public transport and share a seat. But then an old lady comes on the bus and there are no seats so we both get up and you reach up to grab the handle that I pretend I can’t reach and I just hold onto you instead.” Harry let’s a laugh escape and Louis finally looks down on him - even though he’s felt the green eyes gazing up at him the whole time. He runs a finger over Harry’s cheek. “And then we go home and -“ Harry knows what’s coming. The end, usually comically, is always the same. “Uh, watch Grease or Dirty Dancing or something happy.”

Harry is glad that Louis changed it this time. And no matter how seemingly boring the scenario is, he’s glad that he got to hear it. He knows they both needed it.


	2. Tell me how to turn your love on

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another kinda short chapter - I'm trying to follow the timeline of big Larry things as much as I can - so if there's any major moments you want to see coming up, let me know in the comments!
> 
> Title is from "Kiss You" which will make sense at the end of it

Briana was pregnant and they were to act as if it was Louis’. 

Louis was ever the flirt but couldn’t be bothered to even fake it with a female when it came down to it. When he fled, he just wanted the attention he had lost from Harry, which Briana was happy to offer. After nights of hanging out and acting touchy, she ended up hooking up with Oli instead while Louis passed out or cried into a bottle of alcohol thinking about Harry, not caring if she ended up thinking he was acting like a tease.

So that was what management had concocted. When Louis first started hanging around Briana and management had started thinking of her as a backup plan, there wasn’t going to be anything about a baby - just another girlfriend, perhaps. But after they contacted her and she shared the news, well, it all seemed to juicy to let go of. And a surprise failed paternity test with his best mate being the real father at the end of the whole thing would just make the media frenzy even wilder - Louis name would blow up in the headlines.

Within a week, Louis had come back to Harry, they met with management, and they had to go back to finish their tour. It’s the beginning of June and they have a month or so until the shoe drops and another wave crashes over them. They sat down with Niall and Liam and told them everything the past few days had contained, to which they offered their full support.

“Well, how do you guys feel about it?” Liam asked, after they were finished explaining.

Louis grabbed Harry’s hand and looked at him. Harry looked down to his own lap instead of returning eye contact.

“You know, I wanted to leave the people I met in LA behind because, well, I don’t much like the way I acted.” Harry turned to look the opposite direction while one rogue tear fell down his right cheek. “I don’t like that for the next few months we’re just going to have this reminder that I left hanging over us. But it’s worth it.”

Louis squeezed Harry’s hand and Harry looked back to his lap. Louis used two fingers to tilt his chin up, so Harry was facing him, but Harry wouldn’t meet his eyes. “It’s worth it,” Louis whispered again.

“Listen lads. I don’t know how much this means to you, but Liam and I, we both think it’s worth it too. It’s just not right when you’re not together, really."

“Nailler’s right. I don’t know what we would do if we had to get used to not covering up your couple-y moments in interviews. It’s the thrill we live for,” Liam said with a chuckle, which Harry actually joined in on.

Harry nodded his head and whispered “It’s worth it,” in agreement and he was still holding Louis' hand. It was small, but Louis knew it was progress.

X

So now they were embarking on tour again after their break. Harry and Louis were back to their old habits - at least, they were going through the motions, like sharing a hotel room and dressing room without question.

Louis even asked Harry about it one morning after they woke up tangled together. Louis woke up first, savoring the feeling of Harry curled into his arms. But a few minutes later when Harry opened his eyes, the first expression Louis noticed was fear across the younger’s face. It dissipated after a moment and became unreadable. “If you want, I can have them book an extra room…you know, if you need your space.”

Harry looked broken at that and just looked to Louis questioningly.

“Only if you want that, love,” Louis reassured, cupping Harry’s cheek.

“Well if you -“ Louis cut Harry off, knowing what he was going to say.

“I don’t ever want to sleep without you next to me, so you can get that thought out of your mind right quick.”

Harry didn’t say anything at first, just nuzzled closer to Louis and nuzzled his face into his side. “Let’s just sleep a while longer, hmm?” Louis felt tickled by Harry speaking against his ribcage and he smiled at Harry cuddling closer to him, so he lied back down and smelled his hair. Sleeping was easy knowing Harry wanted to be there too.

So every morning they woke up with their limbs as one. Harry still might have been a bit apprehensive about him and Louis kissing - not wanting those used feelings to come up again - but when they cuddled, they were both comforted by the closeness they needed, and that was okay for now.

X

It had been easy on stage most of the time. Harry was a free, uncontrollable spirit and things still weren’t perfect with him and Louis, so nobody was terribly surprised that he seemed to be off on his own interacting with the fans. Since everything else seemed a bit hectic, it was nice for Louis to see Harry so in his element.

Louis wanted to interact with him more, though. And he knew the fans needed more than just him and Harry singing “18” to each other constantly - that was just routine by now, so Louis thought of a plan.

“Li! Li, wait up!” Louis runs down the corridor of their dressing rooms toward Liam, needing his help.

“What’s up, Lou? I gotta piss.”

“I need your help tonight, here, let’s go to the toilets, I’ll tell you about it there.”

“I don’t want to wee when you’re talking to me, come on mate!”

“It’s fine, let’s go!” Louis says, pushing him down the hallway, ignoring his protests.

X

“I am going to get fired, do you know that? I am going to get fired for this.” Liam whispers to Louis. They can hear the fans screaming from the stadium.

“You’re fine, you’re fine, I’ll let you know if I see one, alright mate?”

“You owe me. Big time, I swear Louis.”

“Yeah, yeah okay dad, let’s just get out there.”

“‘Dad'…you know, pretty soon I’ll be -“ 

“Shut up you wanker!” Louis grimaces, but Liam just chuckles.

“Liam! Louis!” Niall calls. It’s showtime.

The beginning of the show goes without a hitch practically. At one point, Louis signals at Liam to one area of the crowd, and Liam picks up on his hints, scanning the crowd and reading as he goes until he spots exactly what Louis had told him to look for.

And minutes later, it’s time. “Let’s read some signs!” Liam calls. He reads a few before finally finding the one he spotted earlier.

“Always in my heart at Harry underscore Styles. Aghhhh, ahhhh! That is beautiful. Absolutely beautiful stuff.” 

Harry tries to hide his surprise, knowing full well that Liam has been told to stay away from the ubiquitous signs related to him and Louis’ relationship, but…but, that just happened. Harry glances over to Louis and Louis smiles, tilts his head and shrugs his shoulders as if to say, “Yeah, well.”

And the crowd goes wild.

Finally, when the band slashes the last notes to “Best Song Ever” the boys run off stage and high five and hug each other and the rest of the team on a great show. A manager immediately pulls Liam off to the side and Harry grabs at Louis hand before anyone has a chance to reprimand them, too - not that they even did anything.

Harry shoves Louis into the dressing room. “Did you tell Liam to do that?” He asks gruffly. Louis is in the corner of the room as Harry locks the door and walks over to him, refusing to make eye contact while waiting for his question to be answered. Louis can’t tell if he’s upset when he won’t meet his eyes.

“Uh, yeah. I - I don’t know I thought it would be a fun little surprise for you…it’s still true, you are always there…and, you know, show the fans that there’s still hope…give them something…I guess…I’ll just make sure he doesn’t do it again, I’m sorry it upset -“

“It didn’t upset me,” Harry interrupts. Harry crowds Louis into the corner further and puts his hand on the wall. His lips look confident and ready, but his eyes hold the slightest tint of nervousness and Louis doesn’t want to move or scare him away.

Harry reaches his free hand to Louis’ heart and just rests there. Louis puts his hand over Harry’s and holds it in place. “Always, Haz.”

Harry drops his other hand from the wall and rests it on Louis’ pulse point on his neck. “It beats for you, babe.”

Harry smiles softly. “That’s a little cheesy, Lou, come on.”

Louis smiles at him. He knows Harry can see it even if he won’t meet his eyes. “I know, but it’s true. When I wasn’t here, when I wasn’t with you…even now when we’re apart for five fucking minutes, I just feel like it doesn’t work anymore. But when I see you, or - Harry,” he beckons, using his fingers to lift Harry’s chin up, “when I feel you, it’s like I can live forever.”

“Proper sap you’re turning out to be.” Harry starts tapping his fingers to Louis chest in rhythm with Louis’ heartbeat. He finally meets those blue eyes staring at him. “‘Always in my heart.’”

“Always.” Louis is only whispering now. “And I know I’m always in your heart, too, H.”

Harry huffs but smiles.

“I love you. You don’t have to say it back. I actually don’t know if I even want you to because you should say it on your own when you’re ready without feeling like you have to say it to answer mine, but I do love you Harry. Never stopped. Never could. Just got scared.”

Harry nods solemnly and stands there for a few more seconds before turning away, but, no. That’s not what Louis wants. He wants a kiss and he thinks Harry wants it, too. Louis grabs Harry’s wrist quickly. “Harry.” He pulls at him to bring him back. “Let me kiss you. Please.”

Harry’s eyes betray the smile Harry won’t quite let erupt on his face and Louis doesn’t wait for an answer before he surges up and kisses his boy and Harry is kissing him back. It lasts a good five minutes before they find their tongues searching for the other and Louis doesn’t want too much, he just wanted this.

They’re still kissing when Harry starts humming against Louis’ lips, making him confusedly stop when he recognizes… “Oh fuck, not again Harold please.”

“SO TELL ME GIRL IF EVERY TIME WE TA-UH-UCH, YOU GET THIS KINDA, RA-UH-USH, BABY SAY YEA-EA-EA-A-E-A-AH,” Harry is practically screaming with a manically bemused face and how could Louis have forgotten…

“I didn’t even mean to do it Harry! How...how does this always happen?” Harry shrugs as a clear response but doesn't stop his antics.

Harry breathes in for a quick second and says in a rush “youknowtheruleswhenyousayletmekissyouitalwayscomestothis IF YOU DON’T WANNA TAKE IT SLOW, youbetterdothedancenowlouis,” he breathes again, pointing at Louis who sighs in a happy defeat to start doing their signature moves and he joins in - albeit with far less enthusiasm, “And you just wanna, take me home! Baby say yea-ea-ea-a-e-a-ah, yea-ah-e-ah, and let me kiss you!”

Louis smiles up at a grinning Harry and shakes his head. “You’re a total, complete fool.”

Harry leans down to give him another kiss on the lips. “Always.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So when Harry is singing "Kiss You" to Louis like that, I pictured his face being like when he was the winner of Louis' Quick Fire things in the X Factor cause he was just so excited and silly - so there's a visual haha

**Author's Note:**

> WWLD - I might vomit at the cheesiness but I cannot help it.
> 
> Leave comments and let me know what you think please! Thanks for reading!


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